


Valentine's Day

by happywife416



Series: Collection of Short [3]
Category: Dragon Age II
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-14
Updated: 2016-02-14
Packaged: 2018-05-20 09:01:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,469
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5999994
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/happywife416/pseuds/happywife416
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>I wrote this for the cheesy romantic holiday. Its part of my AU, which will start going live in a few weeks. Even these two can't have a normal date.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Valentine's Day

_Hey, what are you doing Saturday?_

_Uh. Not working._

_How about a date?_

_Really, storyteller?_

_I'd drop 95% of everything for a date._

_What's that 5%?_

_Actively injured and bleeding._

_Good point. Bleed on Blondie, he handles it better. Meet me at the cafe at 7?_

_What? You are willingly going to my favorite place? I thought it was too clean for you, without enough dark corners for lurking Carta._

_Don't ruin it, menace._

Hawke smoothed her hands over her dress one more time, staring at her reflection in the shop glass. It wasn't often they had a date, most nights were Wicked Grace or reading followed by frolicking amongst the sheets. They still had separate apartments but Hawke rarely saw hers anymore. The little red dress hit just above the knee, hugging her curves suggestively all the way up to its demure neckline. Her latest tattoo, leaves twining a labyrinth across her bicep around a red rose, shined starkly against her skin. she had her hair up minus a few curls gracing her neck amidst the sparkle of earrings. The dark lined eyes that hung over ruby red lips were not diminished by the small gold ball that sat serenely on her nose, no matter her mother's argument to the contrary. Hawke shook her head at her reflection. "Nerves, champion? I routinely face down blood mages, dragons, and Meredith. But a short, hairy scoundrel makes my boots shake." She gave herself a grin and wandered down to the corner cafe. The lights within lit up the inside like it was noon and she pushed the door open to its merry little bell.

"Hello, Hawke!" The boy waved from the counter.

"Hiya, kid!" Hawke tickled him. "How's my favorite muffin tester?"

The little boy grinned. "Mama says I'm going to give her nightmares but wanted me to thank you for the lessons with Messere Anders. We don't have to buy ice anymore!"

"Aw, that's great!"

An older woman stepped through the kitchen door drying her hands on her apron. "Don't encourage him too much, Champion. He's too young to go on your adventures." Her smile was warm as she watched Hawke play with her son, mixing his ice with her fire.

The little boy pouted. "But, mama, I want to be a hero like Hawke!"

Hawke tousled his hair. "Be a better hero then me, little one."

"Messere Tethras is in the back room already. And its time for you to take a bath, young man." The boy gave Hawke a hug before whining his way through the kitchen doors. "Thank you, Hawke, for everything."

Hawke flushed slightly. "Keep serving the best coffee in the Free Marshes and I will name my first born after you, Mauve. Helping you guys was the right thing to do and he deserves a happy life." Mauve nodded, tight lipped but smiling.

Hawke swaggered through the door into the private room. It was normally reserved for business meetings that occurred at the cafe but Mauve had occasionally set Hawke up in it when she had a hangover. Tonight, it was lit with candles and roses were scattered across the table seated for two. His customary red silk shirt had been replaced with a shirt so dark it was midnight of a new moon. The candlelight glittered off his earrings and his necklace, occasionally setting his dark eyes blazing. Hawke silently took her chair with a swallow, bottom lip worried between her teeth. "Well, storyteller, you do know how to surprise a girl."

He laughed. "It helps when the girl doesn't remember the time of year."

She arched an eyebrow. "I remember Satinalia. What more do you people want?"

He tipped a bottle of wine into her glass. "Birthdays, anniversaries, holidays."

"I know it's not my birthday or yours, I'm not quite that bad." She smirked taking a sip. "That is divine."

"So you have no memory of a cheesy romantic holiday meant solely for celebrating love."

Her blue eyes sparkled across the table at him. "Romance? I don't think I know that word."

"You are a menace."

Hawke laughed. "If I was easy all the time, we would never get our day jobs done." She sat silently a moment swirling her glass. "I'm not good with romantic. I don't know how to act. Do I swoon? Bat my eyelashes so hard and fast I pass out?"

Varric's eyebrows nearly disappeared into his hairline. "What? Has no one ever tried to appropriately woo you?"

She gave a derisive snort. "Remember that guy that showed up demanding I return to Denerim?"

"You broke his nose."

"That is the extent of my romantic experiences other then you."

Varric sighed. "That boy was an idiot. And I would have to lie if I said I've done it the right way."

"Right way, wrong way. Are you happy?"

"Most of the time."

"Same here. Obviously we aren't screwing it up too much. Besides, everyone is jealous." She giggled into her wine. "Except for Bela and Merrill who make comic strips on it." She threw her arm dramatically over her eyes. "Oh, Varric, I may perish from pleasure." Her giggle erupted into full blown laughter that he joined in with.

"I have to admit; this is a lot more boring than a normal night for us."

Hawke smirked. "Well, we could fix that by there not being a table in the middle."

"Or use the table." Hawke flushed at his words.

"You better not!" Mauve stepped into the room. "Unless you want to buy a new one, Messere Tethras. I don't run that kind of establishment." She slammed another bottle down on the table. "And that's the last one. Your brooding friend and the mage drank the rest earlier. Strange couple those two."

"Thank you, Mauve." Hawke kept her face mostly neutral but her contained laughter was making her nose twitch.

Mauve stomped back to the door before turning to glare at Varric. "You break her heart again and I will make sure to put soap in all your drinks." She closed the door with a tiny slam.

Hawke laid her head on the table, tears streaming down her face and howling with laughter. "The look on your face. Oh, Andraste, that was good."

Varric glared at her momentarily before shaking his head. "Nothing goes as planned with you. Let's take the bottle and go."

Hawke continued to giggle as he pulled her from her seat and swiped the bottle. "It's because I'm so fun and charming." They left the cafe hand in hand.

 

Hawke planted her feet on the bottom of the balcony railing, bracing her hands across the top. "There is nothing better than watching the moon rise over the sea." She gazed out over the water, a soft smile on her face. Varric was looking at her. "What are you thinking about?"

He gave an aggravated sigh before kicking the railing and staring out at the water. "Wishing I was taller."

"What?"

"It would be nice to have you looking up at me every once in a while. I'm getting a crick in my neck."

Hawke shifted her feet off the rail and turned to him. "I can think of some occasions where I have been." Her smirk set off her dimpled cheeks and the moonlight caused her skin to glow under the freckles.

He gave a huff. "Not even the same."

Hawke's eyes narrowed mischievously before leaning towards him. "So. You're upset because our heights are not compatible to cheesy romance novels. Height has nothing to do with you sweeping me off my feet, storyteller. I fit pretty perfectly in your arms the few times you've carried me." She leaned her head against his shoulder. "I think you're perfect."

He kissed her hair and smiled. "That makes it better then."

"Besides," she turned her sparkling eyes on him. "You're the perfect height for the boobs. Life can't be so bad being almost eye level with those."

Varric shook his head, wrapping an arm around her waist. "I'm not even going there."

They gazed out at the water lost in their own thoughts for a time. Hawke stood and stretched before leaning back against the railing. "So how was this night supposed to go?"

"Quiet, preferably with you swooning over how romantic I was and not leaving the cafe until we had talked about everything."

Hawke arched an eyebrow. "Everything? I think we've covered most of it."

He moved between her knees and took her hands, running his thumbs over her scarred knuckles. Her smile gave him the courage to say what needed to be said. "Hawke, I-."

"Oy. Look at these love birds." Three men swaggered up lane towards. "A dwarf and human, that's weird. She's pretty enough. Dump him over the railing and let's have some fun."

Hawke sighed. "It's never a dull moment, storyteller." They faced the would be attackers head on. "Fire?"

"Definitely. Why do we go anywhere unarmed?"

Hawke chuckled. "I am never unarmed."

"Come here, pretty lady." The man's words were cut off as he started screaming, his pants aflame. He dropped to his knees and Varric took him out with a swift punch. The other two threw themselves at Hawke. She hit one square in the face but the other took the opening in her side with a blade. She hissed as she sank to the ground but froze them both in place.

"Hawke!" She waved him off. He shook his head and punched both brittle men letting them drop where they may. He knelt beside her. "How bad is it?"

Her breath was strangled. "He didn't get between ribs. But it hurts."

He pushed her to her side and inspected the damage. "You're lucky it was dull. You are going to have an ugly bruise." He ripped the hem off her dress and held it to the wound until it stopped bleeding. "Lucky mage or not, you're going to have a scar."

"Just let me concentrate a little, okay?" The wound glowed faintly before closing into an angry red line bisecting the blooming bruise. She sat up and leaned her head on his chest.

"I didn't think Blondie was teaching you healing."

She chuckled. "He changed his mind after he had to heal the 100th minor burn from setting myself on fire."

Varric joined her laughter. "Come on, Hawke. Let's find some place indoors."

"What were you going to say? I can sit here all night." Her blue eyes stared up at him. Freckles dusted across her broken nose in stark contrast to her moonlit skin. The night darkened her hair to black as it blew haphazardly about her. Dusky rose lips were turned up slightly on the corners as she watched him.

"The perfect moment was ruined, menace. Well try again later."

She smiled shaking her head. "Perfect moments are overrated."

"Says the woman covered in blood and half her dress torn and surrounded by bodies."

She rolled her eyes but took his offered hand. She kissed him hard. "Fine, storyteller. But after I get a shower, I'm going to sit on you until you tell me.”

 

 

Hawke stared at her hands in disgust. She had knitted together her flesh enough to keep from bleeding but the muscles were too strained for her to wash the muck from her hair. "That's what you get for laying in your own blood, dummy."

She sighed again as Varric stepped into the bathroom. "Are you drowning?"

She gave a derisive snort. "I can't wash my hair. It makes my vision spotty."

He stepped into the shower behind her, placing a kiss on her shoulder. "You could just ask me instead of boring holes in the tile."

She gave him a soft smile. "It's a lot of hair."

"I can manage. Sit." She folded gracefully to the floor and he grabbed her bottle of shampoo. Within seconds she was relaxed beneath his hands as he rubbed her scalp.

Hawke hummed. "Maker, I should be helpless more often."

"As long as it's not from disastrous injuries I could be okay with that. Head down." When he got to her neck, he worked the tension out of it. "You could break down gates this stiff." He felt her chuckle more then heard it. He ran the bubbles through to the ends several times. "Need help up?"

She shook her head, reversing the tangle of limbs that had taken her to the floor. She turned to face him, water pounding on the back of her skull. "I didn't know story telling made for such great hands."

"It's the crossbow." He watched the water travel down her chest where it hung to a taut peak before beading and falling.

Hawke hummed running her fingers through her hair rinsing the last of the suds free and smiling at his darkening gaze as her body swayed to accommodate the movement. "I think I may be more impressed by your self-control, storyteller. Or disappointed. Probably disappointed."

He smirked before knocking her feet out from under her just to catch her against him. She laughed. "You know you can only do that because I let you."

"Do you ever stop talking, menace?"

She took her bottom lip between her teeth before releasing it slowly with a smile, her eyes darkening to midnight fire. "Make me."

He shook his head before brushing his lips against hers. He smiled at her whine before kissing her again. Lips and teeth nipped before she traced her tongue along his lower lip and then tangling their tongues together. The water continued to beat down on them, washing her hair into her face. She pulled away. "This is overrated. Bed. I don't want to eat hair."

 

Hours later they were languidly tangled in his bed sheets. Hawke was curled against his side, humming while dancing her fingers through his chest hair. He kissed the top of her head. "About earlier?"

"Mm. You distracted me from sitting on you."

"Not technically." They both chuckled. He tightened his arm around her shoulders. "I love you."

She wiggled free of his arm to lean on her elbow to stare down at him. One eyebrow threatened to arch into her hairline but instead she smiled. "You picked the cheesy holiday for that."

"It seemed like a good idea." He moved is gaze to the ceiling. "And if you don't want to go there yet I'll just-."

Hawke cut him off with a kiss that left them breathless. "I love you too." He smiled before claiming her lips again. She snuggled back into her spot and giggled. "I thought you knew that."

"That's not something you should assume."

"No." She said softly. "But sometimes that's what I mean when I say storyteller."

He kissed her forehead again. "Same here, menace."


End file.
